Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: Captain Blood on November 06, 2012, 08:25:33 PM
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This is the blow-by-blow report of the Wars of The Roses battle we fought at BLAM on Sunday – essentially a bigger and better version of the battle reported here: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=46239.0
This time, getting on for 300 figures were used - all Perry Wars of the Roses, barring a few from Steel Fist and Pro Gloria, depicting a fictional clash between powerful, rival noble forces from Essex (for York) and Surrey (for Lancaster).
Silent Invader held the Yorkist right and Mark (who’s LAF name eludes me) the Yorkist left. I held the Lancastrian left, and that cunning strategist, Damas, the Lancastrian right.
The rules were Silent Invader’s own - with a melee system much improved from last time. They really give an extremely good (and quite fast) game.
Silent Invader made all the gorgeous terrain and buildings - again expanded and improved since last time, now with added hills. Spectacularly good hills I might add.
The forces were more or less evenly split, although a goodly proportion of Lancaster’s power were mounted – an advantage which was to prove telling…
A general view of the battlefield from west to east. The Yorkist forces of Essex approaching from the north, and the Lancastrian forces of Surrey from the south.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_10_51_4.JPG)
And the view from the south-east.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_10_51_3.JPG)
The first Yorkist forces enter over the hills to the north…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_10_51_2.JPG)
The Lancastrian left flank under Sir Thomas Howard moves up to the start line…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_10_51_1.JPG)
On the extreme right flank of the Yorkist line, Henry Pierce of Hackneye’s troops attempt to skirt the marsh to outflank the Lancastrians…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_10_51_0.JPG)
The Yorkist centre pours forward into the meadows and cornfields…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_08_46_4.JPG)
Facing them, the Lancastrian left flank edges forward, peppering the enemy with artillery fire and coaxing the enemy onto their refused flank…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_08_45_3.JPG)
In the background, the Lancastrian right flank forces of the DeBrasseys and the Osneys cross the river…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_08_45_2.JPG)
His Milanese mercenaries held in reserve, Howard moves his forces in to seize the farm, whilst Osney’s longbowmen have gained the spinney behind, from where they start raining arrows down on the Yorkist left…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_08_45_0.JPG)
The men of Hackneye on the Yorkist right begin to turn in through the woods towards the Lancastrian left flank, which stubbornly refuses to advance…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_05_46_4.JPG)
The view from the Milanese position, the retinue of Sir Robert Tenchley to their fore, holding the Lancastrian centre…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_05_46_3.JPG)
The view from the farm…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_05_46_2.JPG)
On either side of the river, the DeBrasseys advance, starting to turn in on the Yorkist left flank…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_05_46_1.JPG)
The Yorkists push their own mercenaries forward in the centre…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_05_46_0.JPG)
Whilst Pierce of Hackneye is almost through the wood, his archers having picked off the Lancastrian gunners and silenced their artillery…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_04_05_3.JPG)
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What an absolutely awesome looking game... and no carefully dressed ranks in sight. :-*
Well done chaps! :D
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Thanks Jim ;)
We like a rabble...
The Lancastrian right flank is watched over by a reserve of Flemish mercenaries.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_04_05_2.JPG)
The DeBrasseys race forward…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_04_04_1.JPG)
A general view of the battlefield from the east. The small Welsh contingent of Henry Tudor haven’t yet moved. And never did!
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_04_04_0.JPG)
In the centre of the battlefield the longbow duel hots up with both sides sustaining heavy casualties.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_02_07_4.JPG)
I don’t know the identity of Steve’s newest troops in apple green and damson livery, but I don’t half like their colour scheme…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_02_07_3.JPG)
A bird’s eye view of the centre…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_02_07_2.JPG)
In a sudden rapid advance, the DeBrassey cavalry smash into the advancing Yorkist column and split it.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_48_00_3.JPG)
Whilst the Lancastrian archers begin to concentrate their withering firepower on the Yorkist vanguard…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_48_00_2.JPG)
Now Sir Thomas Howard sees the small force of Hackneye men emerging from the wood, somewhat isolated on the Yorkist right.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_02_07_1.JPG)
And immediately unleashes his cavalry against them…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_9_02_07_0.JPG)
Unfortunately, the Howard cavalry lose momentum against the sheltering hedges and are beaten back by those brave Eastenders…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_45_35_4.JPG)
Leaving the cavalry of the Foyles of Crowhurst to sweep through gaps in the hedges and strike them a second time – this time with a vengeance.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_45_35_3.JPG)
A furious melee has developed in the centre, the Lancastrian horse outnumbered, but taking many enemies with them, and fighting almost imperviously by all accounts…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_45_35_2.JPG)
Whilst the Crowhurst infantry charge in the complete the encirclement of Pierce of Hackneye…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_45_34_1.JPG)
A desperate set-to in the woods…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_45_34_0.JPG)
Then, in one of those misfortunes of war, Sir Thomas Howard, ranging around the rear of the Yorkist positions comes upon the Yorkist Commander behind the wood - and puts him to the sword.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_43_27_4.JPG)
And so the end game is reached. On the right of the Lancastrian line, Tenchley unleashes his cavalry as the Lancastrian foot advance to roll up what remains of the Yorkist’s left flank.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_43_27_3.JPG)
Whilst to the West, the Howard foot advance to take on the remaining mercenaries in the Yorkist centre… The Milanese moving to follow up and press home the advantage…
Whilst the Howard longbows set up a devastating enfilading fire…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_43_27_2.JPG)
Bird’s eye view of the end state. The surviving Yorkists, having suffered heavy casualties, are pegged back into the north-west corner of the field, whilst Surrey’s Lancastrian forces roll forwards on all fronts.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_43_26_1.JPG)
The refused flank, the hitting power and mobility of cavalry, York’s oversight of not deploying stakes, all told on the Yorkist fortunes.
And there, at the very end of the battle – still, the Welsh have not moved lol
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_43_26_0.JPG)
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Wow- that is amazing! The figures and scenery are just fantastic, but what I really can't get over is how cool everything looks when you take them off the movement trays- sure, I bet it was a pain in the butt to move them about, but they look stunning. So much more natural: You can almost hear the din and chaos of the battle field.
A truly eye opening, and thought provoking scene. It helps that the figures are jaw-dropping too.
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That is just stunning. What a game that must have been. The terrain is indeed impressive as is the quality of the painted figures.
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I see someone let that bull get loose again! :D
Insanely jealous of such a gobsmackingly amazing game. Has to be one of the best looking games I've ever seen, the painting and scenery do you all credit. ;D
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Aces High, Hole in One, etc etc etc...looks fantastic - just wish I could have been there on Sunday to view...
Richard - what camera/ settings on camera are you using? Pictures superb...
Need to come over to your garage room soon...
Giles / Eric
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That's it! The Perry's are going to be getting all my money :D.
Great report. And looks like it was a fun game as well.
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Cracking job on the report and photos Richard - and you give me too much credit, it was very much a team effort. :)
Hmmm, York's failure to use stakes. I bear that one heavily on my shoulders: having built them into the rules and having them with me, I have no excuse for forgetting to deploy them. Next time though........ :D
Sorry for the repetition but this is my favourite image of perhaps my favourite of all the little actions of the day:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/11/577_06_11_12_8_45_34_0.JPG)
Oh, and those in the apple green and damson livery are the men of Edward Woods of Hockleye.
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That is a Cecil B De Mille in technicolour awesome wargame spectacular, gutted I didn't come to BLAM now. :'(
I could probably have swung it if I'd thrown a big enough tantrum ::)
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LOVE IT!!!!!!
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A few more pictures from Richard and Steve's game at BLAM 2012
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-1.jpg)
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-2.jpg)
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-3.jpg)
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-4.jpg)
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-5.jpg)
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-6.jpg)
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-7.jpg)
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-8.jpg)
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-9.jpg)
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-10.jpg)
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-11.jpg)
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-12.jpg)
(http://www.consolemonkey.plus.com/BLAM2012/wotr/blam12-wotr-13.jpg)
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That is stunning - from figures to terrain, the latter is particularly good
Right gents keep painting I'm looking forward to your next dust up
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Awesome, this is a real war gamer porn... hem...I mean dream :o
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Wow that looked a superb game, real shame I couldn't see it, maybe it can be run on the Saturday next year ? ;)
dodge
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Thanks for all the comments. :)
gents keep painting I'm looking forward to your next dust up
Richard is ahead of me but I have about another 150 in the assembly/painting queue, including artillery, 3 units of horse and two more foot units of about 50 men each. It will take a while though! ;)
Then there's the civilians for the village and a few more terrain features ...........
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All the games from BLAM have looked excellent but this is the one I really would have liked to play - staggeringly good :D
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BLAM really seems to set the standard for quality from what I've seen from this and the other current threads. It's almost like the premier UK non-convention wargaming event! :)
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This is wonderful - I am very impressed.
Can you tell me some things about the terrain?
Are the resin houses from Ebob?
I think one house is from Perry but the roof looks different - is that towelling on the thatch?
How have you done the boards - have you used a cloth grass mat (e.g. GW mat) glued onto pink foam?
How did you do the roads and rivers?
Thanks
Mick
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Stunning stuff :-* :-*
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that looks amazing 8)
no movement trays? it looks better for it, making it look like a battle, how much did it slow the game down?
And will the rules be published at some point?
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I must say as an enthusiastic participant, actually getting to play on the board and with the superb models from the Captain was the highlight of the weekend.
Steves home grown ruleset (whilst initially daunting) made for a very fluid game!
I'm soon to be off to the Perry site as the forces of the Duke of Richmond and the Earl of Arundel must stand their ground!
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Thanks Mick and others :D
Can you tell me some things about the terrain?
Are the resin houses from Ebob?
I think one house is from Perry but the roof looks different - is that towelling on the thatch?
How have you done the boards - have you used a cloth grass mat (e.g. GW mat) glued onto pink foam?
How did you do the roads and rivers?
Thanks Mick and others :D
Regarding the buildings and terrain, there's quite a lot of detail (including WIP images) in some other threads.
Regarding the buildings, none are resin. Three are conversions of the Perry plastic house with the rest being scratchbuilds (all by me albeit with one cottage being a conversion of an ECW cottage by Jimbibbly). The advantage of the perry cottages being in plastic is that they can be chopped up and reassembled with different floorplans and door/window layouts. I also scrapped the plastic roofs, replacing them with card covered with towelling. It was a very rough towel, having been stolen from my dog rather than a posh London hotel! There are WIP images of the buildings at the following thread, which will give a better idea of their construction.
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=36158.150 (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=36158.150)
I do use a grass mat for the boards - an Autumn blend by Gaugemaster. It goes onto a thin foam flooring underlay, which is on 9mm mdf. Then it's just a case of cutting out trackways and riverbeds and tarting up. Note that this tarting up is up to but not above the level, meaning the boards can be easily stacked and so don't require much storage space. There are WIP images at the following thread, showing the foam product and the construction stages.
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=41916.15 (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=41916.15)
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no movement trays? how much did it slow the game down?
And will the rules be published at some point?
A few trays were used but the nature of the game is such that, especially in the early stages, if the players agree then both sides can move at the same time, and with four players the minis were repositioned quite lickity-spit. Personally, I prefer the mob look (I'm from Essex, so by nature I am unsophisticated!) and so for any small additional effort the aesthetic was worth it.
The rules will be published, probably Friday as I still have to write in the day's tweaks. The rules suit those who play in the spirit of the period and the game - a couple of very competitive rule-exploiting types would probably end up in a punch-up worthy of the WotR!
The comment by Damas that the rules seem initially daunting is probably a reference to the melee mechanic, which even I find difficult to explain although in practice it is deceptively simple. I tried to explain it to Hammers on the day but tiredness (long drive, heavy rain) got the better of me and I'm not sure he understood a word of what I'd said (I certainly didn't lol).
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a very fluid game!
Y0ur cavalry sweeping into a column broken by your artillery being a pivotal moment of the game! :D Damn you.........
Glad you enjoyed it.
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It was great fun :D but the cavalry sweeping into the gap created by artillery was very much the perfect situation. Had one die rolled differently, the end result could have been very different and Mark could have returned a tonne of mangled horsemeat to me. o_o
I look forward to future installments!
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Great looking game and lovely pictures. Thanks.
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What a game! Beautiful, breathtaking, overwhelming. And looking so much better than the usual ranks of figures. It just looks, as others have said - real. Can't get better ...
:-* :o :-*
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:-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
Impressive looking game, very inspirational !!!!
Best regards Michael
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impressive! :-*
congratulations on this! :)
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@Silent Invader
Thank-you for the terrain tips.
Mick
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The word inspirational gets tossed around a lot but this thread (and the earlier battle royale) truly are an inspiration. Scratch that, all the threads leading up to this is why I visit LAF so often. We saw the initial building/painting threads, the terrain getting made and then it all coming together in friendly, awesome looking games. Good wargaming and can't wait for more.
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Glad you enjoyed it :)
(So did we!)
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Everything has already been written about that truely inspiring post, Medieval Battle Royale Redux. But i just need to express my admiration for the people who put this together. It is such a joy to look at the pictures and see all those magnificently painted miniatures on a very well made miniature landscape. A dream for every historical wargamer, which i am not, but no doubt some day will become one. Thanks guys....and girls?-)
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Can't stop looking at this thread..... :)
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Did the rules ever get posted?
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Did the rules ever get posted?
Not yet = my bad. Sorry about the delay and also for failing to update. Will get on with it in the morning :)
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Little more can be said about the game's great visual appearance - simple stunning. :-* :-*
SI, mind sharing the secret of those hills - scratch built I'm assuming?
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SI, mind sharing the secret of those hills - scratch built I'm assuming?
Yep, scratch-built. If I can find the time later I'll add some WIP images to the terrain thread but a brief explanation is as follows:
- They're comprised of pink foam (plus some thinner foam at the edges) attached to 9mm mdf, which is all then carved to shape.
- One short side and one long side of each board have a matching pair to butt against, with the height profiles then carved to match as well.
- Foam was covered in bathroom tile adhesive/grout, then when dry painted with thick PVA.
- When dry, any distortion in the boards was released by cutting through the foam and flattening out.
- Then covered in terrain paper fixed with PVA, taking care not to stretch it when wet as that encourages curling. (Top Tip: don't cut the paper for joins: tear it for a better blended join)
- When dry added the sand onto which I dribbled superglue to fix it.
- Added the foliage, painted the sand and board edges, flocked the foliage and that was pretty much it.
Brief I know, but I hope that all made sense. :)
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Regarding rules, they're now available via my internet store as a free download.
www.miniatureMOJO.co.uk (http://www.miniatureMOJO.co.uk)
The download link can be found on this page here:
http://www.miniaturemojo.co.uk/products/15/25/by_arrow_bill_and_sword/ (http://www.miniaturemojo.co.uk/products/15/25/by_arrow_bill_and_sword/)
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Brief I know, but I hope that all made sense. :)
It sure did SI - thanks for that. Didn't know you had your own little web shoppe - well done!! :)
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@silent invader
I suggest that you make a seperate thread for your rules "By Arrow, Bill & Sword".
I don't understand the point about playing cards
"Players are dealt cards for the order of initiative to make two moves each of either a single character or an eligible group."
Are they ordinary plaing cards? Do you deal one per character or one per unit?
Does it go King goes first then Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8 etc down to ace being last?
Are all suits the same value?
Thanks
Mick
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Yeah, there's been a few rules on scratching my head about.
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They were just numbered cards Mick, although you could use playing cards, yes. One card for each battle or command in the game. We had four players in this game, each with two battles under their command, so had numbers 1 - 8 to decide initiative for the various commands.
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Thanks Richard.
Very happy to answer questions on LAF but as Mick suggests a separate thread might be better. (Mods: any chance of splitting these few posts off so all the technical stuff is combined. Thanks).
As Richard said, any cards (or dice but you have to reroll for draws) with a numerical sequence will do, as its just a means of finding which player goes in what order, with a player having his/her two opportunities to do stuff, then the next etc.
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I will be downloading the rules, when I get home from class. :)
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New rules questions thread here:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=48144.new#new (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=48144.new#new)
Thanks folks. :)
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Hmmm - Nice!
Great looking game, and thnx for the rules download, having a perusal of them. Interesting.